Algal Bloom Forces Israeli Desalination Plants to Halt or Scale Back, Raising Water Supply Fears

Multiple desalination facilities along Israel’s Mediterranean shoreline have been forced to halt operations or scale back production due to unusually high seawater turbidity caused by a surge in microscopic algae, Israeli media report.

Ynet notes that the algal bloom has impacted the majority of Israel’s coastal desalination plants, interrupting water output during the peak summer demand period.

Preliminary assessments cited in the report suggest the algae may have emerged near the Nile Delta before being transported by Mediterranean currents toward Israel’s coast. The exact source of the phenomenon remains undetermined.

Desalination plants supply roughly 70 percent of Israel’s water needs, meaning any extended disruption could have notable implications for the nation’s water supply infrastructure.

Israeli authorities have boosted pumping from the Sea of Galilee and groundwater wells to offset part of the loss in desalinated water output.

Officials emphasize that, at present, there is no severe shortage impacting the overall domestic water supply. Nevertheless, localized disruptions have been observed, and farming operations in southern Israel have experienced cuts in irrigation water allocations.

Experts quoted by Ynet caution that the water network could face mounting strain if desalination plants stay offline or continue functioning below normal capacity for a prolonged duration.

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